GB No. 2 035 191B, GB No. 2 073 090B, GB No. 2 034 240A and GB No. 2 096 531A describe the production of integral plastics material mesh structures by stretching a starting material having therein a uniform, regular or repeat pattern of holes or depressions which form the mesh openings in the mesh structures. The starting materials can be uniaxially stretched or biaxially stretched in two stretching directions at a substantial angle to each other, normally substantially at right angles to each other.
The mesh openings in the mesh structures of GB No. 2 035 191B and GB No. 2 073 090B and in some of the mesh structures of GB No. 2 096 531A have their centres on a notional square or rectangular grid, and the present invention primarily relates to such structures. It is a general object of the invention to provide more varied structures for specific end uses, such as uniaxially stretched structures for soil reinforcement or cement composites and biaxially stretched structures for soil stabilization, asphalt reinforcement or fencing. In general terms, the starting materials should not have too high a percentage of their plan view area formed by holes or depression, particularly if the starting materials are formed by punching out, and the starting materials should be relatively easy to provide and the mesh structure should be relatively easy to produce by stretching.